Typecast
by VictorianCaul
Summary: The waters of Lake Okanagan are stirring, forcing the BPRD to investigate.
1. Part I

Typecast  
The waters of Lake Okanagan are stirring, forcing the BPRD to investigate.

Notes – This fic is based off the Animated Universe. The idea grew from the mission mentioned in Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron, although I know it was first mentioned in Hellboy: Box Full of Evil. I wanted to write a story centered around Liz and Abe, as well as a full mission – rather than just a snippet fic. Ergo, things may start slow. I apologize for any spelling and grammatical errors. No matter how many times I read it over, some will get through. Thank you to those who reviewed my last story.

Disclaimer – All characters are ultimately copyrighted Mike Mignola, and are the property of Darkhorse Comics.

Rating – Rated T, just to be safe. It shouldn't get above language, violence, and death.

--

His hand gripped his walking stick as his limp leg swelled from the cold. He did not bother to reach down and sooth. The rocking current of his little boat was enough; he felt at home on the current, surrounded by water. It called for him to row out and become one, but he could not. His body was too frail to swim. He would drown without the use of his leg. How upsetting, because its calls never ceased.

It wanted to feed.

His eyes twitched. The rustling on the opposite end of the boat caused him to shift thoughts. She was moving, beginning to gain conscious. Soon she would realize that sneaking out of her parents' room passed curfew was the worst decision of her short life. It didn't matter to him so much, for she could never break herself free. It didn't mind, either. It seemed to enjoy hunting for a moving target. What a beautiful night for dining with it, too. The mood had long since disappeared, leaving a black cloud over an overly dense sky.

He could taste the air, and it was thick on his tongue.

He bit back on his tongue and hummed a little melody he had picked up from children wading in a pool. He knew patience. He could wait as long as was required of him, because it controlled the time. He allowed it to, because his love for it could not churn as easily as the waves below. He hummed and hummed as the girl's cries began to stir – it was nothing more than an extra beat to his night music.

Heartbeats quickened.

The sea began to churn ever so silently, though no ripples broke through the water. He reached over, grabbing hold her thick sweatshirt. He looked over once in the dark depths, and smiled sweetly down at it. "Only for you, my Naitaka."

There wasn't even a splash.

--

"It's too early for this." Liz Sherman mumbled incoherently to herself as she took a sip of coffee. She loved the drink too much because she always seemed to have a mug of it with her whenever Director Manning called for a meeting. She did not care. She was not too happy, and to have a call-in when she was unhappy just made her attitude worse. Other agents took heed and cast only a few glimpses at the tired woman as she sat herself down on one of the coaches.

Abe Sapien could see the dark edges around Liz's eyelids, the scruffiness that usually meant she just threw on her clothes that morning, rather than taking the time to properly dress. Her hair had knots from failure to brush, and she looked overall like a walking nightmare. "I'm assuming last night's mission did not go well?"

Liz cast the agent a dark look under dulled amber eyes. "Yeah." There was another sip of her coffee and Abe remained silent as Liz took a moment to reflect. "God, it took two hours to scrub it all off." That was all she said of the previous night, and her amphibious comrade let it rest at that. When Liz did not want to talk, it was best learned not to push her into an unwanted conversation.

Three other agents were in the room. Liz only recognized two, but she didn't even know their names. The BPRD could be like that. It seemed she spotted someone new everyday, or someone left every week. The Bureau was not famous for keeping agents long term.

Liz sipped her coffee again when a black blur caught her attention. She looked up in time to see their director step amidst the group, carrying two folders in his hands. Thomas Manning was dressed particularly well that day, and Liz could only second-guess that either he had a meeting with some budget provider, or he was going to attend a press conference. Either way, he seemed in a rush to hand out assignments and leave.

"Thank you all for making it," he said in his own version of an introduction.

"Where's Hellboy?" asked one of the agents. Liz didn't know how the agent knew her friend, but the thought was crossing through her own mind anyway. She could see the confusion in Abe's eyes, too.

Director Manning flipped one of the folders open and did not look at his teams. "Hellboy and Dr. Corrigan were called in for an emergency yesterday. They'll not be attending."

"Why did Dr. Corrigan go?" asked the second agent, familiar with the Director of Field Operations. Director Manning only answered by saying she was urgently needed. No one asked any questions afterward. If they needed Kate, Hellboy and Dr. Corrigan probably had their hands full with folklore.

Kate was responsible for preparing the selected agents for the work at hand, but it was unusual for the Field Director to attend the missions herself. "Hellboy must have talked her into it," Abe thought.

"That brings me to the first matter at hand." Manning handed the first folder with strong authority to the three agents Liz could not name. "Mr. Marshall, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Allie. With Hellboy gone, we decided the three of you should handle this mission. You'll be going to…." Liz was too tired to listen in, and the only words she could make out were "mummified pigs" before her head nodded down. Her cheek rested against her shoulder uncomfortably and she lost sense of time.

"Miss Sherman. Miss Sherman!" Liz jolted awake at the sound of Manning's voice. Rather than a look of frustration, the Director looked disappointed. "Now that you've joined us, you and Mr. Sapien will be going to British Columbia."

Abe's eyes lowered before he even put his hands on the folder. "The Ogopogo?"

Director Manning gave a swift nod. "I'm sure I don't have to remind either of you. At first, it was only attacking houseboats. Now there are bodies floating up, and the Canadians think the Ogopogo's to blame. They've already closed off Lake Okanagan from the public, but there is always one or two who like to chance it."

Liz listened on as Manning painted the picture of what was going to happen, and shuddered a little. Liz had faced enough monsters in her lifetime that she was not afraid of the Ogopogo. Why they wanted to send the fire starter to a lake was beyond her thoughts. "I hate water," she muttered to herself before sipping her coffee.

--

The Ace of Spades. It was a good card, but he really needed a Jack of Hearts so he could move a row leading with the Ten of Clubs over. Not his luck. With that disappointment, the only want that filled his mind was that of wishing he had brought another book. He knew the flight would take a while but had assumed it would have been short enough to finish his newest paperback. He had assumed wrong, and now he would wait through the boredom.

He blinked once, and drew up another card. The Deuce of Diamonds.

With a sigh, Abe pressed the fast-forward button on his cd player as he shuffled the headphones around for better comfort. The song was too slow moving for his taste and the music was starting to bore him. He had forgotten to change the disc from the last plane ride. "Not on top of things today," he said to himself. With a glance to his side, he looked to see if the person next to him had bothered to wake up.

Somehow, Liz had managed to find a comfortable position against the seat and slept through the flight. Abe had not realized how tired his friend had been, and chose not to wake her up for conversation. Instead, he turned up another card. The Four of Hearts. No cigar.

With a sudden jerk, Abe's cards flew into the air in mass panic, guided by a pull all over the ground as the agent instinctively grabbed hold to the hand rests of his seat. The motion took only a moment of time, and soon everything was steady again. As Abe cast a disappointed look down at his game, the intercom crackled in an apologetic tone. "Sorry about that, guys. We just got news that there's a storm looming over British Columbia. We're going to try and steer clear of it until we can take her down."

"Just our luck." Agent Sapien didn't look up as he gathered his cards, recognizing the pessimistic tone as a sign of Liz's forced awakening. Liz Sherman sat up in her seat and gave an exaggerated yawn and stretch of her arms. Cracking open one eye, she watched as Abe finished shuffling the cards back into their box. "I thought you brought a book."

"I finished it." His answer was to the point. "Did you sleep well?"

Liz almost cracked a smile. "As 'well' as I could. How much longer?"

Abe threw the card deck into his bag and pulled down his headphones. "I don't imagine too much longer. Half an hour." Liz watched as Abe turned off his cd player and stuffed the contents inside his carry-on. She threw her hands around her arms, rubbing them against her jacket sleeves. Abe caught this motion and realized the temperature was dropping. It made sense. It was not bothering him much at the moment, but he knew even he would have to don a coat once they stepped off the plane.

Liz watched her partner for a couple of minutes as he sat still in his seat. She knew he was respecting the fact that she was tired and didn't feel like holding a conversation, but she didn't care too much for prolonged silence between them. "So, how is this going to happen?" Abe responded with perplexed blue eyes. "You know, the Ogopogo. We going to fish for it?" The amphibian recognized her dry humor. "So we're playing bait for a sea serpent?"

"I hope not." Abe retrieved the mission folder. He hoped it was simple because he certainly did not know how to stop a giant snake. Indeed, he suspected that was why Manning insisted on sending Liz; she had prolonged a demi-god. A sea serpent should be a step down from something like that.

Liz warmed up her arms, again.

Abe noticed how cold it was suddenly becoming. "Hopefully no one else will be there." Liz's eyes sharply fell on her friend before realizing what he had meant. With any luck, the inhabitants were smarter now that there were dead bodies involved. If there were people still there, then that was a road to fix when crossed. As Manning said, there would always be a couple stupid enough to linger behind when a giant monster lurked beneath.

Despite her poor mood, the previous night's mission left Liz wanting some company. Abe always could lend an ear.

Knowing there was still a half-hour left, Liz felt herself growing tired. She looked up at Abe once, but he was busy running over the file folder again. By the time he turned around, Liz had leaned her head awkwardly away, somehow managing to find sleep, again. Noticing her wrapped arms, Abe unhooked his seatbelt to reach up for the overhead storage. Their coats were lying beside their overnight luggage, and Abe knew they would need them. He removed a smaller one, laying it over Liz's body for the warmth he knew she would need. Growing cold himself, he reached for his before quietly closing the door. Zipping up the BPRD-logo jacket, Abe hooked the belt back up.

After hearing a reassurance from the pilots that they would be landing in half an hour, Abraham pulled the headphones back over his ears and turned up the volume.

The Bureau's plane landed later at the Kelowna Airport, forcing Liz Sherman to accept the chilly wind that gusted outside. Any lingering thoughts of fatigue blew away. Her haired whipped across her face and a sudden wave of general disgust donned her expression. "God," she muttered, pushing the hood of her jacket up in an effort to produce any sort of protection. It didn't help. Rain was brushing against anything in its path, and even she was not immune to it.

"It's just a little rain." Abe Sapien smiled the best he could, knowing his partner was going to be in a bad mood. When Liz didn't return the smile, he shrugged, allowing the water to refresh his gills. It wasn't enough to breathe in, of course, but it was soothing, nonetheless. He enjoyed it, despite the burning wind, but that was just Abe. Somehow, he could find some positive aspect.

Elizabeth was not satisfied until they stepped inside the airport, out of the weather. Too instant for their taste, a little gentlemen threw himself in front of their line of vision. He had a fake smile too friendly for someone who knew what was happening. Those kind of people always rubbed Liz the wrong way. "Agent Sapien, Agent Sherman!" He took their hands in a firm shake, and that was when Liz noticed his wedding ring. "Welcome to Okanagan. I am Mr. Parker. Director Manning said you two are among his top agents, so I cannot thank you enough for coming out here to settle this little problem."

"I'm uncertain if the Ogopogo qualifies as a…little problem." Abe didn't like the man anymore than his friend, but he could understand why their superior contacted him. "The last report mentioned a body being found yesterday morning. Have there been any since then?"

Mr. Parker's grin faded a little, and he motioned his hands in a quick little spasm. His moustache even twitched, a puzzling and slightly disturbing sight to see. "Please, please, Agent Sapien." His eyes shifted as fast as his hands.

Liz crossed her arms in front of her in a matter-of-fact manner. "I though everyone knew about the Ogopogo."

"We were told the beaches of Okanagan are closed off to civilians," added Abe.

"It is." The man calmed down, clearing his throat. "But we still have to conduct ourselves in a professional manner. To go talking about dead bodies like it was an everyday event would just chaos, would it not?" He waited for an answer. Liz and Abe glanced once at each other, before both gave a little nod, mostly just hoping to get on with the conversation. "We closed off Lake Okanagan as best we could, but we thought it wiser to not release the reason. The enforcement realizes why you are here, but as far as the general public is concerned, the lake is undergoing chemical inspections." He leaned in a bit, tilting his glasses up. "I'd rather it remain that way."

Since neither Abe Sapien nor Liz Sherman could come up with a smart comeback, as they knew Hellboy could dice, both agreed to Mr. Parker's rules of regulations. He clapped his hands, packing back his unusually large smile before waving an arm passed his back. "Good. If you'll follow me, there's a taxi waiting to escort the both of you to the Kelowna Lakeshore Inn."

Abe Sapien picked up his travel bag, hoisting it over his shoulder as Liz followed suit. "We're going to need the see the bodies," he directed at Mr. Parker, lowering his voice in an effort to not provoke the estranged man.

The Canadian smiled again. "All in good time. For now, just enjoy yourselves."

--

"This doesn't look too bad."

Liz lifted her cheap umbrella over her eyebrows to catch a glance at what caught Abe's eyes. She didn't disagree, the Bureau sprung for a nice little place for he and she to spend their nights. Even in the fog of the storm, her vision could make out a well-structured Inn. She inhaled, but choked back as rain assaulted her sinuses. Bad idea. Maybe the lake air would make itself known in the morning. Her eyes rolled off Abe's questioning stare, but she didn't bother explaining herself.

Sapien blinked twice, holding the door for Liz as both stepped inside. "I'll get the keys," he announced, stepping up to the receptionist's desk to allow time for Liz to shake off her wet umbrella and jacket. She did so, shivering as the wet coat exposed her damp skin to the air-conditioned resort.

Rubbing her hands up her arms for friction, she noticed the woman at the desk did not seem to mind that she was serving a fish man two keys to the Inn. She liked that, not having people stare at Abe like a sideshow spectacle. She knew he liked that, too, even though he rarely complained when it happened otherwise. That was just the way Abe was.

Agent Sherman almost considered sitting down, and already dismissed her luggage by her legs. Without weather and worrying greeters, she had forgotten how tired she was. Jetlag pushed down on her shoulders, straining the already cramped muscles. She didn't have long enough to carry out considerations, as Abraham flashed a room key. Not even registering in mind, her hand took it.

"Rooms with a view." While not a site to look at with wind and rain, Abe felt satisfied that he was going to be able to open his window and see Lake Okanagan in the morning. Being amphibious, his body was itching to dive into the waters after getting a taste of the rain. He knew eventually he would have to tread with the possibility of swimming with the Ogopogo; the danger aside, he'd heard wonderful stories about the beauty and pureness of Okanagan.

He was much more amused than Liz, although she herself could appreciate scenery. Her mammalian body, equipped with a fire burning inside, could only take so much water at one time. "Might take advantage of the pool, though," Liz mumbled. She rubbed her eyes, catching a yawn.

Liz somehow managed to make it to her room with her increasingly heavy baggage. She tossed it on the floor and immediate took comfort on the queen-sized bed. Good, she thought, feeling the comforter beneath her arms. A nice, big bed sounded too beautiful to be true. She almost considered giving Director Manning a hug when she returned to the Bureau.

Key grasped in his gloved hand, Abe stepped into the room. He laughed for a second when he saw how comfortable his comrade looked. When Liz looked up, she almost looked too pathetic. "We need to go over the mission report, again," she said too quickly, like a race to see who could spurt it out faster. "I know."

Abe reached into his bag and removed the said item, only to discover the folder had taken a beaten against the various other objects claiming space. "Mr. Parker's going to meet us for breakfast and take us to the morgue."

Nothing like a full stomach before visiting dead bodies. "That's always fun." She was too tired to even try and hide her sarcasm.

"The rotting skeletons of Nevada?"

"Yeah." Suddenly the recoil of that bad taste made itself remembered in her mouth. Collecting herself in a professional manner, she pulled her hair back, ready to discuss the important matter at hand. "So how do we fight this thing?" Elizabeth Sherman knew damn well it was going to involve treading the lake of British Columbia. That much was common sense, but she was afraid of hearing what was bound to come next.

Abe's head markings flushed. He was concerned. "No one has successfully even caught a good, visual glimpse at the Ogopogo. Any sort of photographic evidence is too blurry to use, so we don't know how large of a creature this can be. We can only assume anywhere around 25 meters." Neither liked the sound of that, but it could not be any worse than the dragon they had faced on that island.

He understood that was on the mentality of his superiors when they decided to send him and Liz to Canada. "I'm hoping we'll know more once we see the victims."

"All that's going to probably suggest is that it likes food." Liz's bluntness wasn't without a point. She knew the Bureau sent Abe because he could swim in the same territory as the monster itself. He could lure it to the shore. He was the worm on the line, and she did not appreciate the BPRD's willingness to make that type of casting when deciding how a mission was going to deliver.

Abe blinked. "That's usually the case, yes. I'm more concerned as to why we're finding bodies to begin with. Something of this magnitude should be able to consume more than that amount of weight."

"You're thinking…what?"

"I'm thinking it may not be about food."

"Yeah." Liz's eyebrow arched in attitude. "Nessie's cousin is being framed." Sometimes she failed to notice just how dark her humor could be.

The humor was not lost, though. Abe continued. "I meant to imply that it could be hunting for pleasure." Liz chose to remain quiet. "Liz, you know how we might have to end up stopping this." He understood her disdain of his suggestion, but he knew it wasn't above her abilities. She had tackled worse in their time at the government agency.

She flipped one of the pillows over with her hand. "Burn it. I got it, Abe." Her tone had dropped, and she was uncertain if her partner had even heard her comeback. Suddenly, she was tired again. Liz didn't have the courage to ask for continuing in the morning, but thankfully she didn't have to. When she bothered to look up, Abe was already heading towards the door, key conveniently ready between his first two fingers.

"We'll know more tomorrow." He smiled. "Good night, Liz."

"Night, Abe."

Five minutes had not passed by before Liz Sherman was asleep.

--

To be continued.


	2. Part II

Typecast   
The waters of Lake Okanagan are stirring, forcing the BPRD to investigate.

Notes – This fic is based off the Animated Universe. References to the Ogopogo are a mixture of both folklore and pure fiction. I've been away for a while, but this chapter is also longer. Further updates should not be so far apart from now on. I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors. Also, thank you to those who reviewed.

Disclaimer – All characters are ultimately copyrighted Mike Mignola, and are property of Darkhorse Comics.

Rating – Rated T.

-- 

Dead bodies were not something one ever became comfortable around. After years, one could become used to them, expect to see several after any kind of relentless assail. It did not make them less disturbing. It was a matter of just how horrible they were to look at.

Abe Sapien had seen his share of bags that contained beings that at one time could have been considered human. Water was a horrible cause of death. It bloated human skin, deformed faces like silly putty, paled complexions until he could be convinced that they too had blue skin. 

The fish studied the girl carefully, tilting his head curiously at the almost spongy membrane stretched over her. "How long was this body in the water?" He turned, and looked up at the medical examiner.

The woman took the clipboard in her hand and flipped through the various pages of recorded autopsy data. The crows' feet bagging around her eyes revealed her age and older physique, and she was unable to hide behind the concealing make-up she wore to impress the dead bodies she examined. "She was the most recent found, so about…" She turned over another page. "Roughly eight hours."

"She seems awfully distorted for just eight hours." Liz was unnerved by the victim. She was very young, probably still a teenager. At first glance, she could not tell for sure, and that made her shudder inside.

The room was dark, the lights hanging from the ceiling having been in dire need for replacing for years. Two bodies were in another room, locked in freezers until their mothers and fathers, their wives and husbands could finally bury them. One lay on a steel table in the center of the group, covered only halfway decent by a smoky sheet. The dead knew no shame, and they cared not for being observed.

Mr. Parker watched from the back, a look of calmness across his features. This had not been the first time he graced the room with his presence, as Director Manning wanted as many details about the situation as possible before sending his agents. He knew exactly what type of trouble Lake Okanagan was holding onto. Three dead bodies. If he ever hoped for Okanagan to pick herself back up, he needed the deaths to be investigated as discreetly as possible.

If everyone knew of Ogopogo, no one would dare tread the waters of British Columbia. Mr. Parker knew without tourism, the area would undergo a terrible economic drought. Until the Bureau could remove the problem, he would have to invest his own time to ensure what needed to be done was done.

As the medical examiner pushed back the sheet further for a better view at the lower torso, Agent Sherman pointed down at several hefty, polygon-shaped marks carved into the girl's hips and legs.

Before she could ask her question, Dr. Carvin spoke. "At first, I thought they were knife wounds. The incisions are consistent with similar cases of stabbed victims. I have to be honest; the idea of a snake killing these people didn't exactly strike me as a legitimate cause of death." Her over-plucked eyebrows curved up. "I started to think it was a murder dump job until I noticed all of their lungs were filled with water."

Liz looked down at the girl. "Water?"

Abe understood. "They drowned." When the examiner nodded in response, he joined Liz in taking a second inspection of the swollen wounds. Definitely bite marks. The size of the incisors indicated something big; too big for his preference. "Something the size of Ogopogo shouldn't have had a problem with these people, if it was concerned about eating." Blue eyes blinked as he tried to piece together the puzzle before them.

Bewildered features crossed Parker's and Carvin's expressions. It was Elizabeth who stated the obvious. "It dragged them underwater." She reached out her hand a bit, as if to touch the girl's arm. She felt a connection, a mutual feeling of the fear she must have felt when losing oxygen and having life slowly sucked away from her body by an element of which no human could control. What must it feel like to drown?

"Liz?" 

She snapped back into conscious thought, bringing her hand back down in a rash movement. "Looks like you were right, Abe," was all she could think of saying before turning her back against the victim on the cold table. "It's not about food."

Liz received a perplexed cast from Mr. Parker, but Abe stepped forward to explain after motioning that they were finished examining the body. "At first the Bureau thought that Ogopogo was hunting the swimmers, but with bodies that made no sense. We're concerned now that it may be killing for another purpose."

Mr. Parker's eyes suddenly widened in worry and an abrupt case of nausea swooped down his internal systems. "You mean that thing could be killing for sport?" The sight of dead bodies did not bother the man, but the thought that there was no reason for a monster's rampage was sickening to imagine. That meant no one was safe. Any passing theories that Ogopogo was swarming around specific types of possible meals dissolved, and Mr. Parker felt like he was going to throw up. Ogopogo was looking for its victims.

"Worst case scenario." Abraham felt no better than anyone else in the room. Something dark loomed over his mind, and for the first time since arriving in British Columbia, he felt a hasty pang of fear. He explained further that he and Liz would continue to investigate Lake Okanagan, but he knew it may come down to facing the outsized serpent. But that was their job, defend the general public from monsters, from things that were deemed part of the abnormal and paranormal world; things nightmares were made of.

"You have our cooperation, Agent Sapien," Mr. Parker repeated.

Liz felt the urge for a cigarette. "Keep the people out of the water," she instructed.

As the agents stepped towards the door with their supervisor, Mr. Parker collected himself long enough to restore his professional demeanor. Glasses were pushed over his eyes, giving a condescending feel to the man. "Agent Sherman, I assure you that the well-being of our residents and guests is first on our priority."

"I'm sure it is." The fire starter's tone was not lost on her comrade's ears, but Mr. Parker did not seem to pick it up. He simply smiled, and held the door open for the lady, like a gentleman.

Mr. Parker accompanied Liz and Abe in the taxi, requesting to pay for their expense. For the first ten minutes, the ride was quiet but calming.

Kelowna had a visually stimulating loveliness about it, but as long as they were working they could not appreciate it fully. That was the worst part about working away from home. The urge to just stop and enjoy the look around could rarely be satisfied. These weren't get-aways, to be sure.

"Could I interest the both of you in joining me and my wife for supper?" Mr. Parker asked suddenly.

Abe answered. "Thank you, but we need to have a look at the lake, today." In truth, he didn't want to be around Mr. Parker any longer than he needed to be.

Their overseer shrugged in response, and rolled down one the windows. "Yes, of course that would be better. My wife has been upset lately. Her sister called last week, and our niece has not called in from her work. With all of the ruckus that has been plaguing here, we thought the worst. The Ogopogo, you understand. But, since no body has turned up from the lake, we're just waiting for her to call. I've assured Sarah that the girl's probably with that boyfriend of hers. The young will be young, eh?" He smiled again, winking.

Guilt hung over Liz, as she felt she should have been more interested in Parker's story than she actually was. "I hope you find her."

"Oh, I am certain she'll turn up. She's done this before. Turns out she ran off to Quebec. But I must be boring you now." He could read Liz's face well enough to notice that both she and Abe were not particularly interested in hearing the man's life story. "I just thought Sarah would enjoy some more company. I know she would love to meet the likes of you two."

"Maybe we'll meet later," Abraham said in a means of hopefully ending that part of the conversation.

Unluckily, Parker continued. "I do hope so. She does not get out of the house much. Perhaps you could show her that wonder fire I've heard so much about from the BPRD, Agent Sherman. Agent Sapien, you yourself would be enough to…"

Abe frowned. "We're not here for entertainment, Mr. Parker."

Realizing his words offended, the little man waved his hand in an apologetic manner. "Oh no, I do not mean to show you off as circus folk. It's just not everyday we meet people as unique as yourselves. Surely you understand our…enthusiasm."

"And I'm sure you understand we've got a job to do." Liz crossed her arms and sunk in her seat, remaining quiet for the rest of the drive.

-- 

Once back at the Inn, Abe immediately returned to his room to prepare for the next part of the mission.

Opening the window so he could value the view of the outside world, he retrieved his belt from the bathroom where he had left it the previous night. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted the full tub that he had forgotten to drain properly. The bed the Inn offered was too hard for his liking, but the tub was big enough; he had to credit the Inn for that, as he often used them as a makeshift place to sleep whenever he was forced to spend the night away from the comforts of his room at the Bureau.

Pushing down the plug release, Abe secured his belt before grabbing his gun. It would not serve him much purpose underwater and he did not want to ruin it, so he would have to leave it behind. A knife would serve well enough, but he hoped he wouldn't have to use it. Hating to go into water blind of what he was looking for, he had no doubt he would know it if he found it.

Through it all, Sapien was just looking forward to the swim. He and Liz couldn't exactly take vacations whenever they felt like it; in fact, he could not recall the last time either she or he took a leave of absence. So, taking advantage of Lake Okanagan while he could seemed appropriate - especially if the Bureau was paying for it. 

The crackling of the cell phone forced Abe to pace back to the main front of the bedroom, and scrimmage through his bag. He knew it would be the BPRD checking in for an update on the situation. "This is Sapien," he answered, pressing the speaker button so he could continue what he had to do to prepare.

"Abe, I think I found something that could be useful."

He recognized the voice, and it made him pause for a second. "Kate?" 

A small laugh came from the other end. "Yes, it's me."

"When did you and Hellboy get back?" In truth, he was interested in knowing what their emergency had been and how it had been carried out, but he had a feeling he'd get an earful from Hellboy when he returned if it were actually interesting.

"Several hours ago. When I heard that you and Liz were sent to handle Ogopogo, I did a little more research." Where would the Bureau be without Kate Corrigan? "There hasn't been a case of a death by it in over a century, and even those reported back then were sketchy. Some were proven to be homicides concealed as Ogopogo threats."

Abe stepped into the conversation, recalling the morning. "The medical examiner first thought the bodies were stabbed. But everything leads me to think the Ogopogo is drowning them."

He overheard Kate typing away on her computer at the opposite end of the receiver. "It's not impossible. Back when the original natives of British Columbia controlled the land, they believed the Ogopogo was a great beast of the sea. They originally named it Naitaka, before the children's song deemed it Ogopogo. Sightings back then were apparently more common. They even carried animals for sacrifice in hopes it wouldn't attack when they had to cross the lake.

When English settlers came and took over with their own God, many of the natives believed Naitaka became enraged at the lack of respect it received. Apparently the settlers threw it all off as a folk legend. Even though a few sightings were recorded, the only sort of unusual activity centered on livestock drowning."

"Self-sacrificing for the Ogopogo?" Abe asked, making certain he had heard right. 

"Yeah, if you want to call it that. When one man tied his horse to a stake to keep it away from the lake, it dragged the stake along and drowned itself. Eventually the farmers learned to keep their animals in enforced pens, but that's when more frequent sightings of the Ogopogo started to appear. Nothing much could be done, because no one could prove Ogopogo was responsible. By then, it was considered nothing more than a fishwives' tale."

Abraham rubbed the back of his head. "When people stopped offering it sacrifices, and the sacrifices stopped coming to it, it's possible that it could be extracting personal revenge on Okanagan."

"I think there's more to in than that." The computer keyboard clicked more before Kate's voice claimed the phone. "There's a native legend of these worshippers of Naitaka. They thought it would grant them immortality in the next life if they supplied it with living sacrifices. They believed animals weren't pure enough, so they tried children and virgins for a while. But when the bodies floated back to the shore, the people of the tribes were furious. Apparently they tore out the worshippers' entrails and threw their bodies into the sea for Naitaka."

"Never a good way to go." His voice didn't falter.

"I know. There are still stories going around about the restless spirits of the Naitaka worshippers reincarnating. The legend continues to say that they plan on offering the bodies of the innocents so that Naitaka can take its place back as a god of Okanagan."

-- 

Something about the taste of tobacco could not be toppled. Liz knew it was bad for her.

All of those years of living with people preaching lung cancer against her had not accomplished much. Cigarette's knew their place between her thumb and first finger, and the smoke was her companion. To bring new friends was to just exhale, allowing another wave of sweet taste through both her tongue and sinuses. She had gone too long without that company, and it was good to be reacquainted.

A sudden shriek spoiled the serenity of her moment, and she jerked her head around to confirm the whereabouts of the noise.

Liz sighed. It was just the kids on the other side of the wooden fence, throwing each other into the swimming pool. She had not stepped away from the tourists enough, but what could she do when the motel forbade smoking inside of the rooms? She could live with hollering children, and the occasional gaping person who thought she must have been the most interesting person there.

With the lake closed off for "pH testing", the other inhabitants of the building had to find other ways to entertain themselves. Some families went out to visit other areas of British Columbia, assured that they would be given discounts for the unexpected misfortunate of the lake being cautioned. A lot of people stayed in their rooms, enjoying television, while many lived it up by the pool.

Mostly children swam in the controlled waters, their parents close enough to keep and eye on them. Two women argued over the plot of a book, teenage girls swooned over a boy pretending to be the lifeguard, and an old man tapped a cane against the side of his chair, observing the spectacles around him.

The Kelowna Lakeshore Inn had a gorgeous landscape. Beauty all around and Liz could understand why it was a popular tourist attraction. With the storm long since passed, blue skies highlighted the darker waters and pushed out the vibrant trees. The surrounding rocky hills gave the area contours that anyone could appreciate without binoculars.

The lake was breathtaking. Despite knowing something wicked treaded its depths, the cool breeze pushed over the sea like a coarse blanket. Yet, it was so inviting. For a moment, even Liz was tempted to step into the sparkling black lake.

All she needed to wake out of that dream was remember that a snake also tempted Eve with something beautiful.

When the butt of the cigarette threatened to breach her thumb, it disappeared with a wave of her hand and a flash of fire. It was like watching a magician trick, and it caught the passing attention of a couple who had been busy trying to haul their screaming son away from the pool to eat. They were uncertain if they had seen what they thought they had, or if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Liz ignored them, and drew another cigarette out of its box. In the instant of a thought, it was on fire and dangling from her lips. 

"Did they catch you smoking in your room?"

Liz smiled, not bothering to turn around as Abe stepped onto the lake sand. "They smelled the smoke." She felt slightly naughty for getting caught, but her pyrokenetic abilities heightened her yearnings for tobacco. It was her thing.

Abe shook his head a bit to clear the scent away from his face. He never cared for Liz's smoking habit. Being amphibious meant he had two respiratory systems to take care of, and second hand smoking often made him feel queasy. Elizabeth always took note of it, and when her friend showed signs of discomfort, she made the cigarette disappear.

"There's too many people here." Liz's comment resulted in a confused glance from her companion. "I mean, you think with dead bodies floating up, they'd send all of these people away. It's not like a giant sea monster is going to be hard to miss."

"Parker's probably counting on it only appearing at night," remarked Abe.

"And the chances of it playing by his rules?" She did not need a response.

Abraham took a moment to enjoy the scenery, allowing the brisk feeling of the lake scent to pass through his gills. The cold sand beneath his feet dried out his skin, making it only ache to be moistened more. While it failed to hold the stunning imagery of somewhere like Venice, British Columbia was spectacular in its own right.

"Hellboy and Kate are back at the Bureau. Kate suggested a couple of theories that I think are relevant." He proceeded to explain the information the Field Director had gathered from her research, and that the events surrounding the Ogopogo and the drowned were more than they probably appeared.

"I'm getting tired of all of this beast-god crap," Liz muttered.

"Keep your eyes out for anyone on shore." Concluding, the fish man reached down and switched on his communicating signal. It beeped once before bright blue lights flickered on and off. 

Rubbing her hands, Agent Sherman could see the awe in Abe's eyes as he looked over the Lake of Okanagan. He was prepared to skim through the waters, check out the area of which they were investigating. She could see that he was eager, and it was not surprising. It was Abe's element. It would take a lot to convince him to stay out of water, but this was what the BPRD sent him to do anyway. "Ready to swim?" she asked.

His markings flushed with anticipation, but Abe remained perfectly calm. "I'm just going to scan the surrounding area for right now. That's where the bodies were found." He pointed a finger over the distance at a set of rocky hills. "They washed up on that shore, so with the current I expect everything has been happening right around here."

Liz responded by flipping on her own signal. It blinked a moment before syncing up with Abe's. "Just don't go looking for trouble."

Abe smiled, his sharp teeth resisting against a chuckle. "Usually it finds me first." Touching the knife on his belt, followed by his communicator to be certain both were in range, Abe leapt into the water.

The cold rush shot speed of adrenaline through Abe's aquatic body, and he suddenly felt his temperature plunge. It was an all of a sudden and painful reaction, as the agent did not expect it. The flash did not stall him, and he continued to swim forward. He allowed his gills to replenish from hours of quenching thirst, and his lungs shut off temporarily until he would need them again.

The water was dark, but the double lids covering his eyes adjusted quickly. Nothing much was out of the ordinary, and he did not expect it to be. He glided faster than any human could hope to achieve, and explored the world any normal man could not see. The murkiness grew the deeper he went, almost like a fog webbed in the water. His body accustomed to the increasing pressure the closer he came to reaching the bottom.

Fish scuttled and dashed out of his way, fearing him to be a predator on the hunt. Unfortunately, there was a larger fish on the prowl.

Abe was uncertain for what he was exactly looking for. He had no clue as to where the Ogopogo dwelled, how far down its grounds were. The longer the silence continued, the more he found himself on edge. Shudders filtered down his spine, but his blind search for nothing continued.

--

She hated this part of the mission, waiting for Abe while he lurked about below sea level. It made her feel useless. Certainly, with scuba gear she could follow, but the bulky apparatus only made her slow and clumsy.

Liz puffed on her fourth cigarette, exhaling black air. Hours passed by before she could blink, and no news from Abe. She didn't find herself as worried as she thought she would be. She knew Abe could take care of himself, because he always did. Both had seen their own share of giant monsters hell bent on destroying anything around them, and they've lived through it before.

Boredom often took over when she was forced to linger, and scenery no longer captivated her. It was more enjoyable when she had someone to watch it with, but she had no intention of mingling with the other residents of the Inn. Several news sets had come and gone as the hours turned, arriving and leaving out of boredom.

All, except one elderly man who never left his white chair. His cane tapped against his leg in a steady beat that never wavered, and his eyes never left Lake Okanagan, mesmerized so much was he.

Liz was not spending as much time with Abe as she wanted to. It had been a while since the two could just talk with each other. Prior to Director Manning calling them for the trip to Canada, both had been away on various other problems. She had been too tired earlier, but now the mission was moving so fast she didn't know what to do now that it had slowed down.

In the back of her mind, she could not trick herself into believing she did not secretly wish the matter didn't even involve the Ogopogo; it was a matter for Kelowna Homicide or whatever police handled murders around the place. She and Abe were not going to be needed, and could spend more time enjoying themselves, something she had not done in a long time.

She kidded herself too much. She was a professional BPRD agent, and she knew something big and bad was causing all of this trouble.

Liz's general frown lopsided and she put out her cigarette. Evening was approaching, tides were turning, and it was starting to get cold. Pulling the zipper of jacket up, Liz turned as her ear's picked up the sound of water splashing. Thinking it to be Abe, she picked herself up out of the sand and walked over to the shallow run. When she did not catch sight of her friend's shape, she strained her eyes out to try and find out where he was approaching from.

"Abe?" she called out.

Nothing but more sloshing. Instinctively, she grabbed hold of her communicator. "Abe, what did you find?"

Again, nothing.

Suddenly, something threw itself from the water, and Liz whisked her gun from her belt. Crouching herself down on one knee, she was ready to put years of BPRD training to use. She tuned out the gasps and shocking cries of the people across the fence, several of whom opened the doors to get a better look at what was making so much noise. Others remained oblivious.

At first, Agent Sherman could not make out what was clawing its way onto the sand. It looked like a blue and black mess, a barrel-shaped body sucked in around a foreign skeleton structure. Two stubs on its head butted into the ground, confusion and anger raging through its mucked features. It was covered in the sea and its life, little kippers and lake crabs plopping onto the sand around it.

Once it was out of the water, it cried out. A horrible, but familiar sounding gurgle filled the air.

Her eyebrow arched, pulling her gun down from her line of vision. "It's a cow."

--

Abe swam like the aquatic creature he was, and lost all sense of time. His search had so far been in vain, for nothing apart from expected marine animals combed the lake. He chalked up his loss of the hours to not being in any large body of water for months. Some kind of primal instinct inside of him enjoyed this, despite the ever present caution of danger that came with it.

It was a constant reminder of how inhuman he really was.

The bottom of the lake held no secrets that he could see, but it did become darker and deeper the closer he came to the rocky hills surrounding.

It wasn't until he reached a dead end, solid, mulch-infested stone did something bright catch his attention out of the corner of his left eye. The water temperature dropped.

He turned around quickly, hand poised over the knife by his side. But, it was not what he anticipated to see. He blinked in surprise, slightly taken back. Figures of pale, disturbing complexions swam forward, stopping as they realized he had spotted them. They were disgustingly repulsive to look at, some worse than others. But, Abe could tell. They were human. Or, they had been human at one point.

Ghosts, Abe thought.

There were so many of them. A few were visibly older, larger than the many who had to be children. Little children, whose beautiful faces were now stretched over distorted skulls, the sea living off of them. Kate's words returned. These were the victims of the Naitaka worshippers, the babies and virgins thrown into the sea for forced sacrifice. Abe felt a pang of pity for their souls.

He swam back against the stone as a handful darted to him. At first glance he was concerned, and considered defending himself, but they meant no harm. The children sent him sympathetic woes, and started crying in a language he could not understand. The words were fast and jumbled, the sea acting as a natural cork to their bloated vocal cords.

He shook his head at them, gills fluttering as their hysteria disturbed him. "I cannot understand you," he tried to explain, knowing they would probably not understand him, either.

Surprised was Abraham to hear a voice speak up.

"You…You speak English, fish god."

The children parted way for the shape of a man to float ahead. He looked considerably in better shape than those of the many surrounding him. The eyes that had not sunken back into hallowed sockets looked sad. "I once spoke, too." His voice was warped, but with Abe's acute underwater hearing, it was audible enough. "They are the natives, fish god."

He waved his hand around to caress the cheek of a small girl, who clung almost cutely to his mangled leg. "You do not recognize them, but they call out for you, fish god."

Abe was taken back by the title given to him. "I am sorry, but I am not their fish god."

"Then let them believe you are." This time, the voice was higher and softer. A woman took to Abe's side, whispering in his ears. "They're too young to understand. We were all murdered, fish god, but there of those of us who are of our own special group. I was the second." She took her hand, and rubbed it across the amphibian's gills. A sharp clasp of cold shot down Abe's nerves, and he curled up in shock. The woman only continued to gesture to the group. "He was the third, and she the fourth. We're the youngest here, but the only ones to speak a language your mind can comprehend."

A girl pushed her way passed the other children, and cast pleading eyes up at Abe. His own blue orbs shot open, and he composed himself back up to recognize her as the same girl they had seen at the morgue.

"I want to walk the shore," she chirped, and cried into her shriveled hands. "Oh, I want to see my mother. Her arms were warm." Without warning, she threw herself into Abe, grabbing hold for the life she had been deprived of for over a day. She was unused to being dead.

Abe recoiled, contact sending waves and incomparable spasm through his body. He jerked back, swimming up to try and escape the contact of the drowned ghosts. Contact between the living and the deceased was abnormal, apocalyptical in the face of what was right in the placement of the world's creatures.

Before he could swim farther, another ghoul threw herself in front of his vision. "Fish god, please do not leave us. You can listen." This was the fourth victim who could speak in the common mother tongue; only three recent people had been reported dead. "Please, fish god." She had the most depressing voice of all. "Each minute is an eternity, and we are all so old now."

Death to the dead was endless.

The young woman wrapped skeletal hands around her arms, and cried.

Abe spoke, "The Ogopogo…."

"It is angered by our presence, but we cannot leave. It does not want us, fish god. It never wanted us."

He took this information in, but before Agent Sapien could ask what she meant his communicator blinked rapidly. The flashing lights sparkled in the dark waters, frightening many of the ghosts away. Several remained, including the English-speaking locals. They recognized the light as not being magic or witchcraft, but were nonetheless enthralled by seeing something bright again.

Abe knew it was Liz, and knew something had happened on shore.

"Fish god?" The last ghost wrapped her arms around herself tighter, her voice never sounding more pleading. It was so cold down there. "Will you please take my body back? Please? My family must miss me so, as I miss them."

That's when it clicked in his mind. This woman, the first of the recent victims of the Ogopogo, was Mr. Parker's niece.

Not even registering in his mind, he nodded slightly. With a response received, she allowed herself to sink down. The girl, man, and other woman followed suit, as well as any other ghost that lingered after his communicator sparked off. As the temperature of the water returned to normal, Abe darted for the surface and did not stop until his head escaped the water. His lungs automatically awakened, and instantly took in a gulp of air.

The sky was growing dark, and Abe reregistered his mind to remember what he had been in the water for. He was by the rocky cliffs, the shore long ways away. He didn't want to be in the water in the night, not in current state. His eyes darted around; knowing what he was looking for, his hand retrieved his communicator and brought it out of the water.

"Liz?" he called into it.

After a couple of seconds ticked by forever, the voice came through. "Abe, there you are." He could detect the hints of both desperation and relief in her tone. "We've got dead livestock here, Abe."

Not even understanding what Liz was talking about, Abe's eyesight locked onto what he needed to find. His voice dropped low. "Liz, we've got another problem."

--

To be continued.


	3. Part III

Typecast   
The waters of Lake Okanagan are stirring, forcing the BPRD to investigate.

Notes – This fic is based off the Animated Universe. The comic is also paid homage to in this chapter. I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors. Thank you to those who either reviewed or put this on your story alert.

Disclaimer – All characters are ultimately copyrighted Mike Mignola, and are the property of Darkhorse Comics.

Rating – Rated T.

--

His eyes did not strain as he glanced off at the distant, shallow sands of the lake. He could spot the crowd beginning to form back behind the police that had arrived shortly before. Curious were they, but he kept his distance, tapping a walking stick against the muddy ground. He did not need to be there, and the lake taunted him. Okanagan called, soothing his ears with a chime that he could not answer.

The mass collection of black messes conquered the shore, animals of deceased nature claiming the area as their own. The noise was almost unbearable to those people accompanying them. A mixture of farm sounds formed headaches, and many of the tourists from the Inn locked their windows in a desperate attempt to block out the racket.

The agents from the BPRD contacted the local Kelowna authorities to try to help contain all of the beasts that resurrected themselves from the sea. After butting in several unmoving jokes about the lack of seriousness the whole situation seemed to have, the police agreed to tape off the area from the curious bystanders until they could figure out what to do.

"Maybe the zoos will take them, eh?" one of the officers had chortled.

In reality, they expected a call to the Bureau in the future. It was more acquainted to prepare and handle things like zombie livestock. Until then, they all just needed to be enclosed. They seemed relatively harmless, but no way were a group of undead animals going to be unleashed onto the Okanagan populace.

The entire point of them being there was to keep it all concealed, and the Canadian forces expected them to do so as discreetly as possible.

That proved increasingly difficult with the amount of awful noise the monsters caused. Gurgled howls and snivels of at least forty filled the night winds. It created an overall haunting atmosphere, and everyone surrounding began to feel more and more uneasy the longer they lingered.

It made him smile. All of it. "My Naitaka, your subjects call for you. Hear their cries."

--

"I know, I know." Liz Sherman threw her free hand back to rub the side of her temple. The hours past had been frustrating, and suddenly it seemed like everything was crashing down.

The call to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense had not been pleasing, because it did not take British Columbian television long to pick up on the news at hand; one of the tourists must have thought it would have been a great way to make a bit of money and a few minutes of fame. Suddenly, Canadian and a few American stations announced throughout the areas that animals were rising from the dead and bodies were floating up on shore.

Director Manning was not happy, especially with Kelowna. It would have been far simpler to have his agents work if they did not have to worry about hiding their purpose around the general populace. Had the Lakeshore Inn been shutdown, the chances of people finding out about the search for the Ogopogo and everything that came with it would have been less likely.

That was not the hand he had been dealt. He had to work around the mess.

American officials instructed British Columbia to keep Lake Okanagan completely shut off. It was a mess. The surrounding inns and hotels had to give every guest a discount, their money back, or sport for them another area to stay, away from the lake. Some went quietly, either understanding the situation or being completely in the dark. Others raised hell, threatening to sue.

Yeah, stay with the zombie cows if you want, Liz thought with disdained, obviously hating the lack of common sense that usually followed when dealing with people.

She sat in a lone chair inside the morgue, frustrated from both the work and the fatigue that threatened to come with it. Her eyes were sinking in, and with each passing hour, she grew in desperation. Any lingering ideas that Okanagan was going to be a quick-and-easy job kept dwindling away.

The Kelowna officials stayed on the beach, as she accompanied Abe Sapien back to the coroner's with the body he had located during his swim in Okanagan. While he and Dr. Carvin contacted the suspected family of the girl, identity confirmed through a dental record, Liz updated the Field Director. "Kate, we're doing what we can," she repeated into her communicator.

"I know, Liz." Dr. Corrigan sounded tired. "We're sending backup as soon as we get the clear from Director Manning. They'll at least be able to round up the animals."

Liz huffed in reply. "The sooner the better. When I was last down there, the smell was unbearable."

On the other end of the receiver, Kate smiled in a straightforward grin. "Well, they're dead. What did you expect?"

"Charming." She accepted the silliness of it all.

"Any updates on Ogopogo sightings?"

Liz sat up from her chair, and tapped her feet on the floor beneath her. It might have been a nervous tick. "Nothing, and Abe swam in the lake all evening. Just those things and the ghosts." She could hear voices in the background of the receiver, some hollering loudly to call out different agents. Her superior took a few minutes to make orders before turning her attention back to Liz.

"They were the drowned victims of the Naitaka followers, right?"

Liz's answer was too blunt, and even she was afraid she sounded rude. "Yeah."

Either Kate did not notice, or she ignored it. Liz was sometimes difficult to talk to when it came to checking up on missions, because her short fuse often collided with her professional conduct. Those who did not know her well enough occasionally found her difficult to be around. "It's consistent with the old tales. We need to figure out why this has started, again."

"You mean besides some nut trying to wake up the Ogopogo? Seems like enough reason to me." Demi-god worshippers were simple to figure out, because there was not much to their character other than that. Years of experience spoke there.

"If any Naitaka worshippers are back, you'll have to be on the look-out for them, Liz. If we're actually dealing with them, they're providing Ogopogo with the human sacrifices." Agent Sherman heard Kate break off to give a few more orders to other workers, and then loudly type at her keyboard. "Liz, tell me what you can about the ghosts, the ones that spoke with Abe."

The news networks were not releasing the names of the victims, until everything was gone through with the families.

Liz blinked, and she rubbed her eyes in an almost physical gesture to conjure up what her friend had explained to her earlier. Numerous ghosts of native children, touching between death and life, fish god. "Abe said there were four of them, and we identified the original victim as the niece of the supervisor, Parker. She and two of the others were adults, and the most recent a little kid." When asked if there was any connection between the four, "We already knew that those latest three were staying in resorts close to the lake, but the first girl wasn't anywhere near it."

"It's possible that someone may have been targeting her," Kate commented, thinking over the information and ruling out coincidences. "Have you finished any background checks on her?"

Despite talking through a communicator, Li z shook her head out of habit. "We haven't had the opportunity to do anything like that. All we know is what Parker told us." She was instructed to keep her field manager up-to-date. If it all started with Mr. Parker's niece, then everything that commenced from the original murder somehow linked to it. More than anything, Kate was concerned why her body alone was the only one that the tide did not return to the shore. Liz explained that, according to Agent Sapien, nothing was restraining it to the water. No seaweed, no rocks, nothing.

Elizabeth contemplated. "She was found farther out than the others were thought to have been." She was no expert on the pushing of lunar tides and similar scientific knowledge. Whenever talking about it, she felt like a parrot, only repeating whatever she heard.

At first, no reply came through, and Liz found herself progressively more agitated at having to be on opposite ends of Kate's attention. When she was about to ask if she was even there, she heard something she did not want to. "Tell Abe to scope that area of Okanagan, again."

"Liz asked too quickly, "If someone's taking this thing its food, then won't it quit if we stop this worshipper?"

"Unless you know who that is, Ogopogo is still considered a threat on its own."

Or Manning doesn't want this to turn into a half-assed job, Liz reflected to herself. "It's not looking for these people itself, Kate. It doesn't want to eat. The ghosts said that the Ogopogo didn't even want them or something like that."

"But it's still the one killing them, Liz." Kate's voice started to grow impatient, but both knew it was because of the work pile starting to slam down on her. On one end, Liz was trying to defend not looking for a monster, and on the other Tom Manning was trying to get Kate to help him clean up the mess caused by the entire event. On top of it all, other missions had to be taken care of, assigned to the agents capable of handling them, and problems usually stacked on those.

Sometimes Kate Corrigan hated being Field Director.

Liz was about to respond when the doors to the morgue opened. Before she could blink, a woman ran through the room, only stopping once they made eye contact with each other. She, while not exactly beautiful, had a certain charm about her face. Long hair soaked her shirt, indicating both that it was raining outside and she had not bothered to grab an umbrella. Her eyes looked familiar. "You. They said they found my niece." Desperation evident, her voice rose to a holler. "Where is she?"

"I'll update you later, Kate." When getting a short okay from Dr. Corrigan, Liz stood up and quickly put the communicator back on her belt. "You're Mrs. Parker, right?"

No response came, for as she was about to answer, Dr. Carvin stepped out from the autopsy room. The occupants could note her sympathetic look. The new woman's face widened; the two already knew each other. "Dr. Carvin! We just heard the call. You found Amanda?"

Abe stepped out of the room next, looking once at Liz before noticing Mrs. Parker's presence. The woman stared at him, and he could not decide whether her overly large eyes were a cause of her fright or confusion. Whichever it was, she remained silent to the amphibian.

Dr. Carvin frowned. "For the record, we need you to identify her, Sarah." Mrs. Parker choked back a large gulp, and she swayed on her feet. Had not her husband entered and noticed his wife's ailment, she may have surely fallen. She looked up at her spouse, and the tears fell as expected of someone who realized that there was no hope. "Would you prefer to, Charles?"

Parker's fake smile and welcome had long since deteriorated. He seemed to have aged, his face hard and cold. He was about to remark that "prefer" was an unacceptable word for the matter, but it was Sarah who turned out to be the voice of reason. "No. No, I will do it." She cast a pleading look to her beloved, and whispered that he needed to call her sister.

After Mrs. Parker and Dr. Carvin stepped away, Parker turned his dazed, out-of-worldly gaze towards the agents from the Bureau. "We thought we were above it all…." He seemed to be speaking to himself, and Liz's eyebrow arched at his speech. "All of the problems…." Blinking, his eyes targeted Abe. "You must find it. You must find it, and kill it."

His voiced dropped so low, Liz and Abe almost did not hear him. It seemed as though they were seeing a completely different man than the little gentleman who had first welcomed them to British Columbia.

"Mr. Parker, we've called the Bureau…." He stopped only for a moment, looking at Liz for a quick nod of assumption. "…and they're sending backup."

When Parker's eyes darkened, Liz tried to explain. "Someone's feeding the Ogopogo. Do you know of anyone who might have a vendetta against your niece? Or you?" There was no beating around the bush. With body count higher than they had expected, the agents wanted answers, and sooner rather than later.

Water and sweat dripped over his brow like a clock tick, and indication of the precious seconds that passed by. "Everyone has enemies, Agent Sherman." His dark demeanor surprised them. "But enough to kill her? No. No one would have killed Amanda out of hate. And you're suggesting someone…fed her to that monster? Why are you not out searching for him?"

"We've only recently begun to suspect this, Mr. Parker." The dead animals had also been distracting, not to mention he told the ghost he would return her body to her family.

That was when Parker's blood turned cold. "It could take you months, years to find one person, but there's only one goddamned sea snake! You can swim there; you can get in the water and kill it!" He sized himself up against the agent, and despite being of far shorter stature, he gave off an aura of desperation and extreme anxiety.

Abe knew the man posed no threat, and his words formed from fear. Reality hit Mr. Parker hard as everyone realized that there were no patterns to the murders. Whoever fed the swimming beast chose no preference.

Gills fluttered, disturbed at the entire problem. "I plan on scanning Okanagan, again." His words caused a brief disturbance in Liz.

At moments like this, Abraham wished he had the strength and resilience of Hellboy. He had little doubt that the BPRD's top agent could topple the Ogopogo, despite it being in the lake.

Mr. Parker's face read of uncertainty, but he said nothing. As his wife started to cry hysterically on the other side of the door, deathly silence fell on everyone else.

--

The drizzling rain threatened to evolve into a downpour. It gave hints every so often, but did not quite have the nerve to grow so long as daylight lingered in the sky. Grey skies strangled blue, and night was quickly leeching away at the sun. He enjoyed watching it from his little abode, the earth that he, for the moment, claimed as his own. The constant battle between the two was never ending, but he was not above choosing sides.

He instead leaned heavily on his cane, a limp leg hanging loosely as the other supported it.

The cliffs were a favorite, for the rocky hills provided excellent view over his beloved's home.

The lake called. "No," he chortled. "You know I will not listen."

Below the waters, it stirred. It swam as its ancestors had for hundreds of thousands of years. Hunger panged heavily, but it remained summered. Food. It longed for food that only it could choose. He knew it suffered, and in turn hummed a tune behind his tongue. The rain blew like a soft lullaby to them both, and he smiled innocently in return. The smell of the storm was pleasing, and tasted unforgiving.

The love between him and it stirred. His heart twined in compassion.

"I promise I will provide you, my Naitaka."

In the back of his mouth, he tasted blood.

--

A single shot went off.

Liz Sherman turned around in an instant, alarmed by surprise only to find a headless chicken lying by her feet. Black goo flowed from the wound into the sand, tainting the grey texture. "Guess they missed one," she felt like adding as she watched Abe lower his gun from the line of vision. Shooting the undead animal would not kill it, but it would certainly stop it from bothering them.

The surrounding lake was empty as the moon hung in the sky. No stars twinkled, covered were they by the rain clouds. Slight drizzling had turned into light showers, and Liz was growing to hate Canada. Fortunately, the occupants of the Kelowna Lakeshore Inn were now long gone, as were others anywhere within certain miles of Okanagan. She and Abe were finally alone to complete the mission without gaping tourists and loud bystanders.

She could not fool herself into denying she did not enjoy that, even as the water poured down.

Giving one last acknowledgement to the fallen farm animal, she continued to walk along the shoreline. The smell from the dead herds still lingered, and she almost gagged more than once. She did not know how Abe could stomach it, as his inhumanity granted him heightened senses.

"Something is bothering you, Liz."

She did not like being such an opened book to anyone, but only Abe and Hellboy could read her so well. She kept silent, throwing her hands around her arms to warm them in the growing winds. God must have hated her, because she had not stopped feeling miserable since she had arrived at the Lake.

Abe's markings flashed in curiousness, and he caught up to his teammate's side in just a few steps. He was not psychic; he could not read her mind. Yet, he knew what troubled her. "Liz, it's me, and I know you."

"You could wait until morning."

His head titled. Sometimes he was too much like a fish. "What do you mean?"

Liz didn't even mind as her wet hair plastered against her face. "Manning's sent the backup. They'll be here by morning." She did not need to continue, but suddenly she felt like talking. "After they're finished with the round-up, we can send out a search party and find this Ogopogo worshipper. I mean, just how long could it take us?"

Abe's neck moved left and right in disagreement. "What if someone else dies before we find him?" Liz moved her hands up and down in not response, but for friction. She suddenly grew cold. "I don't like this anymore than you do, Liz. I don't want to willingly locate something as large as this and attract its attention. If we could just get it away from Okanagan, maybe lead it into one of the shallower pools away from the general populace…."

"And what's to stop the nut from finding it and continue to deliver?" Liz's voice snapped. "He's the one we should be going after."

"And we will, once we know what to look for," he stressed, but his voice never changing from the secure tone it usually had. In fact, he smiled – as best his limited face would allow.

Agent Sherman could feel something was wrong; deep in her bones, she knew this was not right. "I don't know…," she murmured, almost afraid his ears would pick up. Ever since the ordeal with the dragon, she grew worried whenever a mission of theirs involved going into water. Maybe it was just nothing more than a silly fear. But when the god had grabbed Abe, for a split second she felt more fear than she could have remembered for years. That time, it had channeled into anger, fuel for the fire that claimed her. It was now raining, and they were not stuck on an island this time.

Few things scared her anymore, but what did held powerful influences over her actions.

Abe seemed to realize this.

He was not afraid of the water. Despite knowing nothing of his past beyond a piece of paper, he knew the water was a part of him that he could not run from. It was his niche. Not to say he was not worried about giant fish that could feed on him, but that came with the job.

Without the Bureau, where would he be?

He owed them his finest abilities when they called for it. Being frightened would only plug that, and Abe would not let that happen.

His duty was to protect the people that needed his help.

When his friend looked down at the water, he cupped her chin with his fingers and directed her attention back to him. His fingers were cold from adaptation, but she did not care. "Liz, I'll be fine." He was bold to make such a statement, and he had been wrong plenty of times before when he said the exact same thing.

Still, it gave Elizabeth some comfort, and some comfort was better than none.

At all the same time, the unsettling feeling in her stomach never settled. The increasing waves coming from the lake splashed against her calves, Okanagan teasing her. It made fun at her fear of it, at her fear of what it harbored in its depths.

Abe took his hand away, and took off his gun. Giving it to Liz, he looked down to make certain his communicator was in harmony. His gills took the moment to ingest the moisture now starting to pour down heavily on them.

Taking advantage at the opportunity, he met eye contact with the Lake. Tonight it would be either his friend or his enemy. What a gamble he had to take, and he knew little more going in this time than he did before.

Something primal in him was thrilled for the challenge, but the intellect that came with evolution cried that this was a poor idea.

It was becoming difficult for Liz to see, lacking natural eye protection like the one her comrade had at all times. Indeed, she could only make out Abe's shape beside her, and even that was starting to warp.

"Just be careful, Abe," finally responded Liz, biting down on her lip in obvious discomfort. She still did not like the situation, at all. She just hoped the feelings screaming deep inside of her were wrong. If not, with the amount of rain pouring down, she was doubtful if she could rely on her pyrokenetic abilities for assistance. That doubt weighed heavy on her, more than she should have allowed it to.

He nodded. "You too." Unexpected, he took her hand and gave one more comforting squeeze, letting her know it would be okay.

As he was about to pull it away, she held onto it moments longer, wrapping her other one over it. Time briefly stopped applying to them, and Liz wished feverishly they could just leave, that their problems would just go away. She knew better. She wasn't ignorant.

But deep down, it still warned her to take caution.

Something inside was trying to protect her. Maybe it was her flame, which would die alongside its host should she be mortally harmed.

Agent Sapien entered the water with more grace than the previous time, the outside weather preparing his body for the colder depths sooner. It did not take long for the temperatures to connect, and he flew through the blackness like a torpedo. No human could reach his speed, and few fish could match it. Perfectly adapted webbed fingers peddled and helped him glide. Equipped eyes were not bothered by the dark, and he would almost have been able to see as well as day had it not been for the rain splashing against the surface.

The farther he swam down, the less that bothered him. Sound traveled different in the water, but with millions of tiny whispers banging against hard edges at a time, it became distracting. His mind needed to be focused; he could not let it wander about at any little thing that tried to attract it.

On land, Liz Sherman felt the same way. Unfortunately, she could not so easily escape the pattering of the rain, the splashing of the water, and the roaring of the winds. The strength of the noise increased and decreased with the hour, but Liz remained more on edge than she had last time.

Perhaps that was the only reason she heard the sloshing of thick, wet mud and soaked grass. Acting immediately as years of the Bureau's training taught her, she grabbed hold of her gun, and bent down on one knee.

Knowing full well that no other human being should have been on Lake Okanagan, a spike of adrenaline flew through her veins. She swore her heart missed a beat. "Who's there?" she called out above the wind. Spitting out the rain that came with the action, she waited for an answer.

When graced by none, her eyes darted around for any possible source. Probably same damn zombie pig, she thought through her head. To be sure, she fired a shot into the air. "I'm only giving one warning shot," cautioned Liz Sherman, and she was serious.

No way was she taking chances, especially in the environment she preoccupied.

Nothing.

With precaution, the gun slowly came away from her line of sight. She strained to hear more, but the rain was just too much. "Damn," she cursed aloud, standing up. Alert, her body turned a three-sixty as she kept a look out for anything suspicious.

That was when a fowl stench assaulted her nose.

Liz coughed violently into her sleeve, backing away from the odor. "God, what the hell is that?" she managed to spurt between her violent hacks. The right hand kept a firm grip around the handle of the gun, and she desperately tried to stop long enough to bring it back up to her eyesight. In a violent force of frustration, she fired another shot into the air – this time to make a quick source of light. The flash revealed another black, huddled mass moving towards her, a hefty beast dragging a rotten log held by a rope around its face. Unable to identify it as a horse, but knowing it to be another dead thing from the lake, Liz fired at it.

Through the burst of light, she saw the animal recoil back from the hit.

Unlike the chicken from before, it did not stop. Neighing like it was crying at the moon, the shot only made it angry. In a speed unexpected by something tied to a log, it galloped over and butted into its assaulter.

The attack did not harm Agent Sherman. It only made her more frustrated. It was actually embarrassing, and she knew Hellboy, and probably even Abe, would have a laugh at her later for it. "Are you serious?" she asked nobody. She fired off two more rounds into the horse, hoping her aim not too affected by the storm. The second shot found its way to the beasts' head, and blew the cranium off in a messy shot. "Human or not, all zombies go down the same."

"He merely awaits the return of my Naitaka. You attacked first."

Liz turned herself around so fast she almost lost her footing on the slippery sand. Throwing her arm around to maintain balance, she shouted out. "Who are you?" Straining her eyes through the passing rain, her ears boomed as thunder struck down. She gasped, narrowing her eyes. She hated feeling at the mercy of everything around her. "Everyone was supposed to be evacuated. You shouldn't be here." She knew her words were wasted. Whoever was on the sand with her knew what was going on.

At first, only his shape made it through the rain.

"What a horrible night for him, my Naitaka. He prefers to eat by the beautiful, uninterrupted moonlight."

Able now to figure out what exactly she was seeing, even Elizabeth found herself slightly startled to see an old man. With the clasps of lighting over the lake, she could barely make out a caring feature across the man's eyes, which radiated most from his body. At first she thought his hand held a blunt weapon, and raised her gun in ready to fire, but hesitated when she noticed it to only be a walking stick.

The Ogopogo worshipper.

This was the man they were looking for, Liz realized. But an old man? An old man had really murdered those four people? It was not impossible. "Hey, don't move!" Liz snapped as he leaned against his cane pathetically. "Don't make me shoot you."

He only smiled, and a hauntingly warm smile it was. No maliciousness stood behind it, no faux grins that faked welcomes. "You must understand, young lady that I cannot die."

Liz aimed her gun, prepared to do what was necessary, when her communicator sounded off.

There were no fish.

That was the first thing that Abe Sapien found most unusual.

Usually there would have been several darting around him at any given time, but he had not spotted a single one since he emerged in the water over the hour. They knew something he did not, but it could not have been pleasant. Animals were usually the first to spot dangers, and people thought it wise to learn from their warnings. Abe Sapien was no different, crossing the boundaries of humanity himself.

It was unsettling, but for one hour, it turned up no reasoning.

Abraham broke for the surface of the water, sucking in the rainy air as his lungs took precedence over his gills. He was fairly distant from shore, and could now see that it the storm was starting to pick up with a vengeance. Lighting was clapping down a little of everywhere, its slower brother thunder lagging shortly behind.

He knew he needed to get out of the water, and as soon as possible.

Prepared to dive back under, Abe hesitated as he heard thunder go off without precluding lightning. It stalled him before he realized that it was not thunder at all.

Gun shots. Liz. Something was happening on shore.

The communicator shot from his hand up to his face in a second. "Liz, what's going on?" he called in quickly. He only gave her three moments to respond before growing desperate for a reply. "Liz?"

Relief hit from hearing her voice. "Abe, get back to sh….."

Sound stopped in a sudden instant as Abe was pulled underwater. Swallowing the sea of the lake, he screamed out silent bubbles as he felt pain shoot through his legs. Throwing himself around in response like a fish on a hook, it was so abrupt his mind could barely register the gargantuan creature dragging him down with speed and force. Only when he realized his cries were mute to Okanagan's ears did his eyes focus. Water rushed all around as he was thrashed around on the lakebed like a bad carnival ride.

Nausea was hitting from the rushing current, and Abe closed his eyes tightly and wished feverishly it was over. But whenever it hesitated for a moment, the sting from his lower torso shot through his nerves, and it only made him hurt even more.

Finally, with the force of a whale, he felt himself pushed through the surface and taken into the air. He screamed in ache as he finally spotted what had grabbed a hold of his bleeding body.

It was a giant. Gray skin like leather quenched in the flooding rain, absorbing it in want. Its body was like a serpent, coiled under water except for its long neck, which stretched higher and higher into the sky. Fins scraped against each other, rustling like sandpaper, but its eyes glowed in the dark. The head of a horse shook violently, hissing breaths releasing from its flaring nostrils. It shimmered, and the look of the beast was that of a disturbed, angered one.

Naitaka.

Ogopogo.

Abe Sapien barely had time to register this as it growled. The sound of a sonar shot off, and he could feel his eardrums start to pound. It grew in annoyance, for its prey would not drown like the others. Rather than trying twice, it learned. Its distasteful meal would not stop flailing from over exposure to water.

Ogopogo roared in dominance, and wound its neck around. Like a whip, it struck back out, releasing its jaws.

Abraham shot through the air was unbridled force, flying farther and farther until he suddenly felt his body go numb. It slammed into hard ground, and the vigor of the collision bounced him down the steep of the rocky hills surrounding the side of Lake Okanagan. He tried to push out his arms, grasping at air in a frantic effort to grab hold of something to stop the onslaught from the earth. He failed miserably, feeling the rocks tear into his skin, his bones bruising with each level of blitz. The rain had made the ground too wet, and nothing was available to stop the natural sliding from the top of the hills on down.

As the edges of his eyes grew dark, Abe could feel the mud grow around him, until, all of in a flash, he stopped. He blinked rapidly, until he could see nothing.

--

To be continued.


	4. Part IV

Typecast  
The waters of Lake Okanagan are stirring, forcing the BPRD to investigate.

Notes – This fic is based off the Animated Universe. This is the last chapter of this story. I hope to write another later on. I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors. A special thanks to all who reviewed, alerted, or put this story in their favorites.

Disclaimer – All characters are ultimately copyrighted Mike Mignola, and are the property of Darkhorse Comics.

Rating – Rated T.

--

They were wrong.

Ogopogo was far larger than they had expected it to be. It towered from Lake Okanagan with unmatched physique, knowing it owned the land, its home. Its voice overpowered the beating thunder, releasing a cry of rage as it stretched out of the water. Disturbed once again upset it, and the beast grew tired of being distressed.

Liz Sherman's eyes widened, dilating from the flashes of lightning silhouetting the monster from the lake. Her hesitation caused her to forget the old man behind, and as she watched a figure being hurtled across the pouring sky her skin froze. "Abe!" she called out, running against the rushing tides.

The fire within her stirred, calling out in panic as soon as her body hit the water. It hated it, because with its body surrounded by its natural elemental opposite, it had little way to ignite, despite how angry it continued to grow. Liz could not stop to listen to it, to listen to reason. She did not stop at all until she started paddling out into Okanagan, and only then because of the roaring sea serpent.

Ogopogo's horse-shaped head darted down, and it submerged itself back into the water. Its actions were smooth, and it hardly made a noise. It was a master of its component, and nothing within distance could compare to its majestic movements. It was a stealthy, silent monster.

She stopped for an instant, coughing up the water that threw itself in her face. That thing was down there, waiting. Was it waiting for her?

Liz hated water. She could not swim well, and the Ogopogo could easily pounce up and snatch an easy meal if it so desired. She was clumsy and it was not. She might as well have gone ahead and held an "attack here" sign, because if it got a hold on her, then nothing could stop her from drowning when pulled over. This time there would be no one there to breathe life back into her.

Still, even with all of that stacked against her she could not stop. After an onslaught against the rocky hills, Abe had to be hurt. She would not leave him there.

Pushing on, Agent Sherman tried to keep her eyes focused on the land ahead of her. The swim would not have been so bad if not for the storm, because it was not too far off. However, as the lake's tide kept rising, she found it increasingly difficult to keep pace. Occasionally it even pushed her below, where she would have to shove her head back above the surface.

Her body was already screaming from the cold, but the fire inside would not let it stop working. It was her natural protector, and even she could never appreciate how much it was influential to her being alive. No matter how tired she was growing, it continued to serve its boss's purposes in hopes of reaching solid ground.

Her worst problem lied in her belt, which weighed her lower torso down considerably, but she never thought to remove it as her determination kept steady.

She panicked as she felt herself suddenly pulled down. Instinctively diving into her flight-or-fight instincts, Liz hammered her boot down on whatever had her by the ankle. "Oh God, it's got me," she thought frantically as her lungs started to burn. Opening one eye, she caught sight of her attacker.

It was not the Ogopogo.

Instead, another dead cow held onto her, dragging both down into the depths. "I hate these damn things!" Feeling her oxygen starting to run out, Liz pulled out her knife and began stabbing at the deceased beast's skull, hoping it would either give into pain or have its mouth cut off.

Could use those ghosts' help about now, she thought in her mind.

At first, it held on tight to its capture, but Agent Sherman's assault on its face from both boot and weapon proved too much. It released, and Liz broke back for the surface, leaving the dagger to sink to the bottom. Throwing her head up, she coughed violently when she tried to inhale much-needed air.

Gulping back the dread, Elizabeth's arms and legs continued to paddle out, and she once again found herself at a one-on-one battle against Lake Okanagan.

She did not care anymore, because she would take anything it had to offer. The needling knowledge that Ogopogo was waiting, the fact that she had almost drowned would only weigh her down so much.

The cold water continued to assault, and the swim seemed to take longer and longer and the land never within sight. Liz swam unlike she had in years, and did not stop until she felt rocks scrape against her knees. She stifled a hiss behind her teeth, sucking in the air as the skin was torn. She could not stop there, where the lake brushed her up against them harder.

In a matter too clumsy from mud and water, Liz crawled up onto the land, escaping Lake Okanagan alive. The Ogopogo lost that round, but Agent Sherman had no desire whatsoever of entering the water, again.

Throwing plastered, thick hair away from her face, she narrowed her eyes as forms began to take shape against the rocks. "You have got to be kidding me…." Liz Sherman found herself tired of the zombie creatures from the deep. As several cows and goats began to call out against the thunder and rain, her patience fell thin. She did not have time for this.

Hand retracting a gun from her belt, Liz took aim at one of the animals, and fired.

She cursed out loud.

Her gun clogged, ruined from the water of the lake after hanging loose on her belt. She hit the side of it and tried once more, but nothing came out of the barrel. Considering to just run for it, away from the things, Liz growled in annoyance as one of the cows came charging at her. Ducking, she rolled on the ground, and missed its horns.

Now covered in mud, Liz was steaming angry. She needed to find Abe, not get sidetracked by damn livestock. Putting her weapon back in its place, she reached over and retrieved her comrade's gun. Not knowing if it would fair any better, she tried firing multiple shots at the beast that threatened to attack, again.

Nothing happened the first time, but Liz smiled inside as she felt the gun discharge and seeing the cow recoil from having bullets blown into its head. As it fell to the ground, she turned around and aimed at the other animals that threatened to move towards her.

As if the heavens above took heart for Liz Sherman, the rain started to slow down. Suddenly, distinct shapes made themselves known, and she could get a better idea at where to aim. Making quicker work of the remaining beasts, Liz recoiled and took the gun away from her eyesight. At the very least, she hoped the sound of gunfire would keep any other possible ones away.

Putting the good weapon on her belt, she noticed the little flashlight was missing. It would not have helped much, but it still would have been nice to have on hand. The dagger was still in the water, long lost in the home of Ogopogo. Her communicator still worked, specially prepared for any kind of abuse. Grabbing it, she could see that the lights were twinkling dimly; it was not in sync with the other.

"Abe?" she called into it, but knowing that it was not reading his communicator. Her breath quickened. "Abe, answer."

Nothing. Not even static.

Liz took no time in running up the muddy hills.

The area may have been visually pleasing in the daytime, when the lush green backgrounds complimented its rocky exterior, but at night, it was a mess. The heavy amounts of dirt absorbed water too easily, and she was having a difficult enough time just keeping her footing against the slimy hills.

The rocks formed makeshift cliffs, and certain spots made good outlooks over Okanagan. When Liz came to the first, she glanced over just long enough to see the lake below. It was not a far drop off. Probably would not even hurt to hit the water. Fortunately, she had no want to.

She dug her hands into the mud and pushed herself up along the sticky sides, digging her heels in and out of gunk just to further her distance. It helped that the rain started to slow and lightning lit the sky, but the rough winds and loud thunder still made the search difficult. But Liz Sherman was tougher than a little mud and blood.

Her eyes kept alert for anything. Any movement, any physical shape that was not a plant or rock.

She searched forever. Even as the rain came to a complete halt, she looked. Her clothes soaked and clung closely to her damp, white skin. She was shivering, her teeth clattering together against the cold air. As the water stopped falling from the sky, it gave her opportunity to awaken the fire within that had been waiting to burn as soon as the rain started.

It warmed and dried her, yes, but she used it mainly as a better source of light. Minimizing it with control into a ball of flame that floated in front of her face, Liz continued her search in better hopes. It helped calm her, let her know it was on her side – not her enemy.

She continued to call out, "Abe?" Every time she failed to receive a response, concern escalated.

What if she could not find him?

The reinforcements from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense would be there by morning. They had the labor to find both of them, but Liz knew her friend could be dead before they arrived if unchecked. She did not know what she would do, but she just needed to locate him.

Liz caught her footing as she almost slipped on a curve. She was starting to get altitude, climbing higher and higher with no track of time. There was so much land…. "Can't stop," she told herself, pushing on.

She checked her communicator again. Nothing. He had probably lost it in the water when Ogopogo attacked.

"Damn." Agent Sherman's body was aching horribly, and everything in her cried for a rest. The scrapes on her knees burned, not from fire but from exposure to filth. Her legs were getting weaker. She was exhausting herself, and nothing was coming out of it.

Her determination occupied every inch of her mind. Had Mr. Parker just been patient and not stressed that Abe search the waters…. No. She mentally berated herself for not listening to her instincts earlier. She knew something had been wrong about the entire situation, but she had talked herself into false comfort.

No. No use for self-pity now. It was never reliable, anyways.

Rustling from nearby brushes and sloshing from mud tracks resulted in Elizabeth's withdrawal of the gun. She was on complete edge. Her eyes widened, allowing the flame to lead forward before following behind. "Abe?" Checking over proved a disappointment as there was nothing there.

So preoccupied was her attention, that she never saw the object come from behind and strike her head.

Liz Sherman fell backwards, crying out as she slipped down the hill. She only stopped as her body collided against one of the rocks.

Don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out, she frantically instructed to herself as she opened her eyes. Her vision was moving, and as the fire had been put out with her being hit she could not see much.

The BPRD agent groaned as she tried to pick herself up off the ground. "What in the hell…" she muttered, rubbing the back of her head. At first, she was concerned when she felt something wet, and thought she might be bleeding from her skull, but was satisfied to see at close glance that it was only mud.

A hum came from the dark, a cryptic-sounding yet familiar melody. "'I'm looking for the Ogopogo. His mother was an earwig, his father was a whale. I'm going to put a little bit of salt on his tail.'"

The tune stopped. "I must say that you now look terrible, young lady."

Liz's head snapped up, throwing herself up off the rock. She whipped around, recalling her fire in time to see the old man standing in front of her. Twenty questions filled her head, including how such a feeble-looking person could make it up the rocky hills, and how he even crossed Okanagan to get there. Not meaning to speak, Liz's voice spurt out, "How…?"

The old man smiled.

She hated that smile.

"My Naitaka's subjects offer their master's worshipper assistance." He picked up his cane and stepped frontward. Every stride he made closer to the flame, the more it was evident that he was covered in just as much soil as Liz herself was. He barely had a face under all of the dirt.

Annoyed and aggravated, the agent withdrew the gun, again. "Don't get in my way," she warned, prepared to shoot the worshipper if he moved closer. She was tempted to shoot him on the spot, knowing very well that he was responsible for the deaths of the four victims, responsible for the Ogopogo attacking her teammate.

Her finger tightened on the trigger at the thought.

Suddenly, pangs of pain sparked through her arm, and Liz dropped the weapon. Twisting her limb around, she spotted a skeletal mule had bit down, hard, on it. Teeth gritting, Liz redirected her fire at the creature in defense, igniting it instantly. It roared, releasing its hold long enough to take off running away from the fire-starter.

It would die again before it got very far.

The victory was small, as Liz found herself butted against the rock again, this time by a very disturbing-looking bull. "Son of a…." She grasped hold of her chest, but before she could maintain her vision long enough to find the animal, it threw its head back at her.

The corners of her eyes grew dark, and Liz fell to the ground.

She stretched her hand out to try to get a hold of Abe's gun, but a shoe came in the way and kicked it out of reach. Damn it.

The old man, not stopping his assault, let the bull butt the woman across the mud once more before raising a hand for it to halt. Out of the side of her visualization, Liz could see she now rested by the edge; she could see Okanagan's waves crushing below.

He leaned heavily against his cane, his limp leg throbbing at all of the action he had taken. "My Naitaka's subjects are usually docile. You angered them, because they sense that you aim to harm my Naitaka."

Liz Sherman coughed and tried to flip over. God, her body hurt so much. "You…killed those…people," she managed to say, only receiving a sigh in response.

"He is hungry." There was that awful, yet genuine, smile. "Is my Naitaka supposed to starve?" When noticing Liz's disgruntled features, he continued to try and explain himself. "You call it murder, young lady. My Naitaka merely has refined tastes. You cannot expect a god to eat everything that is offered. Yet, oh, he waited so long for me to bring him an offering more up to par with his superior standards."

That's it, keep him talking.

Liz tried to concentrate on recruiting the flames within once more.

She shook her head, both in reply and to try and clear her sight. "No…Didn't eat…."

He chuckled. He actually laughed, seemingly at himself. "I was a fool to think my first offerings were what my Naitaka required." A hand reached down and rubbed his weak leg. Lake Okanagan called for him; it howled deafeningly, but he was now above it once more. No distractions. None, because his master required something else of him now.

"You must understand, young lady," he continued, "that my Naitaka chose me." He stopped massaging his leg. "Three months ago, he grew unhappy with his treatment by these barbarians who dare live by his land. They disgraced him. That dreadful children's song! Ogopogo? Bah. My Naitaka destroyed their water vessels, their boats that treaded his lake.

At the time, I foolishly preoccupied one of those dreaded homes, and would have surely drowned if my Naitaka had not rescued me. My leg had to be sacrificed in return for the greater awakening." His hand gripped his walking stick, and he swallowed the blood back that was forming in his throat. "The greater awakening."

Liz took his daze as an opportunity to attack. Like a lynx, she jumped up. Strained muscles wailed in response, but her eyes glowed brightly, flashlights against the black sky.

The old man's wrinkled features retracted, gasping in response as his sweater spontaneously caught on fire. He grunted as he slapped his hand violently against it, but not before screaming out for help. The bull rampaged, and had Liz not ducked, it would surely have tossed her from the edge, straight down into the waters.

Fortunately, her reflexes paid off, and the deceased animal fell instead. It crashed, and sank back into its original crypt.

By the time she turned around, the walking stick slammed back down. The iron-embedded end struck her temple, forcing her in the ground. She was tired of getting bested by farm animals and an old man.

"It's rude to interrupt people when they are talking," he scolded.

"Go to hell," she managed to say, even with her ears ringing intolerably.

His eyes blinked. Singed flesh caused a horrible smell, but he never even thought twice about the pyrokenetic abilities that came from the girl on the floor. Apparently, neither did decrepit beasts rising from the sea, because he had no trouble asking for help from them.

"There is no hell for me. My Naitaka will grant his most loyal admirer immortality when I satisfy his hunger." He slammed the end of his cane against Liz's harmed arm. Ignoring her cry, he reached under his sweater and pulled out an object.

Straining to pull her head up, Elizabeth had to wait until the next strike of lightning for it to become clear.

A gun.

"The first meal." He reflected for a second. "Amanda Cooler. Quebec did her well, and I remember her searching my Naitaka then. I thought for certain he would appreciate one who knew so much about his royal status. Alas, I am not ashamed to admit I was wrong. To keep me in check, my Naitaka kept her in the lake as a reminder. I then knew such shabby qualities would not please him."

He removed a couple of bullets from his pocket, and loaded them into his weapon. "Unfortunately, I have continued to be off on those I choose to feed my poor Naitaka. He must be growing so tired of my incompetence, for his waters are so angry with me. You hear their callings?"

He slammed the revolver shut. Liz tried to squirm away, but he only struck her arm again with the cane, insuring that she would stay put for at least few moments longer.

The barrel of the gun pointed down, and the elder took aim. The power from before now shifted, the two switching places. "My Naitaka can surely appreciate the trouble you have caused him. You will certainly satisfy his impatient appetite, one so pure and dominant. Then, my Naitaka will grant me the gift I will have deserved."

A single shot fired.

Liz's eyes flew open at the sound of the noise, and her face froze in shock.

The old man pulled his hand up, and massaged his chest. Reporting to his eyes, he saw. Blood.

The hole in his torso began to bleed faster, nothing to stop the flow, and Liz Sherman collected her senses enough to look passed the old man. A black mass stood behind him, and for a moment, it almost looked like another subject of the Ogopogo.

A familiar voice came through.

"Shut up…."

Abe stood, his shaking gun still pointed at the Ogopogo worshipper. He did not bring it down until the old man fell to the ground, quickly starting to die from his injury. His body was too aged for the hit to even try to survive it.

Liz shoved the man's cane from her injured arm, but immediately directed her attention back up. "Abe."

Abraham Sapien's buckling legs gave out, and he collapsed, dropping the gun on the ground beside him.

Gasping, Agent Sherman managed with might to bring herself up to her knees. Feverously, she crawled over to her fallen friend. Worry and nervousness crossed her face as she tried to call on her fire to see.

Like the previous victims of the sea serpent, his legs were bitten and mangled. The assault from the pointed rocks faired the rest of his body no better. She could not recall the last time she had seen him look so bad. At first glance, Liz could not spot a patch of skin not already covered in blood or disturbed earth. It pained her to see him like this, and hearing him groan as he breathed concerned her more. "Abe, don't worry," she assured, as she tried to remove his Kevlar vest.

That helped, but Liz could spot the distance in his eyes. "You need to stay with me," she remarked strongly. She tried to wipe away the soot and blood from his gills and face, attempting to be as gentle as she could. He remained unresponsive. "Abe?"

Elizabeth recoiled as she heard the waves' boom below, and she could only watch in awe as a mighty form revealed itself from the waters. The sea serpent of Okanagan drew itself as before from its domain, its body curling to support lifting its huge neck up into the air. Its grey skin glistened with gothic splendor, and its eyes reflected the lightning that struck behind. The fins around its mouth bristled, its gills flared out as they were exposed to air.

Ogopogo hissed down, expelling air from its lungs as it glared at the three forms on the hills.

Liz did not remember it being so gargantuan, but seeing it up close put the situation into perspective for her. There was no way they were prepared to deal with such a thing.

She could not let it attack.

She could take Abe and try to get to higher ground; it was essentially a giant fish, it could not follow them.

Too tired for that.

Defiantly, Liz Sherman put herself in Ogopogo's eye range as her own pupils began to glow orange. Days of frustration, fatigue, and fury built up, fueling the fire inside. Her hands ignited, and the warmth was welcomed into the damp sky. Her brows narrowed, and she inwardly dared the beast to even think about moving.

Even though she knew that with all of the crap she took it was unlikely she could match against it, she was not going to let it near her or her teammate without at least trying to fight it off.

Its eyes peered at its adversary, and its gills fluttered with grace. It could feel the power coming from the being that made contact with its eyes, the pulsating flames threatening to ignite at a moments notice. For a moment, it was mesmerized, but that was not why it was there.

Growling low deep behind its throat, the Ogopogo lowered its focus down at the dying worshipper that rested by the edge of the hill. It huffed, gills rustling with their sandpaper-like sound, and tilted its head in a mighty heave. It took the man in its jaws with a harsh movement. In the blink of an eye, the worshipper and his Naitaka sank back into Lake Okanagan.

The waters hummed their lullaby, accepting both into its waiting arms. Somehow, a certain order felt restored.

The monster swallowed its loyal follower.

At first, Liz was uncertain if she had seen what had happened right in front of her. How could it be explained?

The unneeded fire died, absorbing back into its host until it would be called for, again. Liz Sherman dropped back on her scabbed knees, brushing off the serpent that had decided not to bother them. Abraham's eyes were dull, and the markings on his skin were losing their color. She held onto him, trying to do what she could until help would arrive.

--

The zombie animals were all dead by the time the reinforcements from the BPRD landed in British Columbia. It caused a massive reek across the beaches of Lake Okanagan, and anywhere the Kelowna police had housed the critters. But, putting things into perspective, they were lucky that was the worse they had to deal with now.

The Naitaka worshipper, Rudolph Hudson, was never found. The final victim of Ogopogo was the one it wanted to consume; unfortunate for Hudson, Ogopogo detested false idol worshipping. The others had only been in its way on its path to trying to eat its subject. The dead beasts tried to drag the old man down with them into the deep, but now their purposes were fulfilled and they all could rest. All of the ghosts could.

With Ogopogo satisfied, no one else had to fear swimming in the waters with the great beast, anymore.

At least, not until some other nut developed the delusion that worshipping the sea serpent was a good idea.

Mr. Parker, in the names of both representing Canada and the families of the victims, thanked Director Manning profoundly for sending his agents to help. While the mission could have run smoother, it had been completed with a relatively low body count. That was what ultimately mattered.

Liz Sherman was fortunate.

The medical team at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense told her so. Apparently she had a hard head, because the blows she had been dealt could have cracked her skull if the attacks had shifted more over. Apparently, the zombie farm animals had caused worse damage, but it did not start to really hurt until they bandaged her ribs up. Now she just felt restricted.

The cots in the medical bay were not uncomfortable, but she never enjoyed her visits there. She didn't know who did.

She had been there all day, and now nighttime hung low. The lights were almost all out, the nurses thinking Liz would want to sleep off her wounds. Instead, her mind wandered off and she picked at the bandages around her arm.

Hard footsteps clicked on the tiles.

The white cloth felt alien to her fingertips, but she found herself thinking more about Abe. The doctors specialized with working with the fish man were still trying to stabilized his condition.

He was really bad. The onslaught did more damage than Liz had thought, and the last clash against the Naitaka worshipper took everything he had left. The specialized medical tank was not helping as well as they had hoped, and Abe's state seemed at the mercy of the moment.

She could not see him. She understood why, but the least the doctors could do was keep her updated on his condition. The dark was unnerving, and she wanted comfort. Abe Sapien had been wrong. That console he had tried to give Liz before proved to be ill said. A deep-rooted irritation fired from Liz against the superiors. They had to have known that Ogopogo was more dangerous than that. Had they really just assumed that since Abe could swim well that anything involving water was in his capabilities.

Liz Sherman hated typecasting.

"Little late, but I snuck you in some coffee."

She opened her eyes, and looked up. A well-known red hand held a steaming cup out, almost in a matter of peace. "H.B." She stopped picking at the cloth, and retrieved her gift. The smell caressed her senses, and her took a sip of the drink. It tasted so good.

The hulking agent scooted a chair up closer to the cot. His frame was so large that it was a miracle the enforced chair could even hold his weight. "All right, kid," he announced, scratching his gargoyle-like chin. "Talk to me."

Liz knew Hellboy was there to listen. His golden eyes almost glowed in the dim lights. Behind a face that could barely show emotions, Hellboy seemed unsettled. Liz could read him, years of working close together forming a mutual bond. "Is Manning mad?"

Hellboy smirked. "A little, but he'll get over it. You know how he hates extra work." The Bureau's Director never liked any loose ends from missions, and he had to be the one to assure the Canadian government that despite there being a gigantic snake in the water, it was not a danger to anyone. They were not so quick to believe Tom.

He watched Liz drink more of her coffee. "Heard you kicked the crap out of some zombies up there."

Even Elizabeth surprised herself when she smiled, but she remained silent.

"Abe's going to be fine." His stone right hand rested on his lap, and he scratched his chin again with his left. Maybe it was his own nervous habit, but he did not make it known. Liz's eyes lingered down with uncertainty. "Come on, you think he's going to let some fish kill him? Abe's tougher than that." He did not speak with medical knowledge, and he did not have to. He knew Abe, just about better than anyone else.

That resulted in a response. Liz shrugged, but shook her head before holding the cup of coffee in her hands.

Reaching over and patting Liz on the back, Hellboy stood up, his chair squeaking with relief as mass weight lifted off it. "Get some sleep, kid." When she gave him one last smile, he turned to leave the room.

"H.B.?"

He turned around, eye ridge arched. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for the coffee."

--


End file.
